All Blog Posts Tagged 'heater' - Home Energy Pros2015-08-02T23:03:13Zhttp://homeenergypros.lbl.gov/profiles/blog/feed?tag=heater&xn_auth=noBuilding a New Pool - Should I Install a Solar Pool Heater?tag:homeenergypros.lbl.gov,2015-06-12:6069565:BlogPost:1830152015-06-12T12:59:13.000ZJason Szumlanskihttp://homeenergypros.lbl.gov/profile/JasonSzumlanski
<p><a href="http://floridasolardesigngroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/How-a-Solar-Pool-Heating-Panel-System-Works.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="http://floridasolardesigngroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/How-a-Solar-Pool-Heating-Panel-System-Works.jpg?width=300" style="padding: 10px;" width="300"></img></a></p>
<p>While few people will swim in the bad month or two we have where night temperatures approach freezing, many people expect to swim in their new pool year-round. When building a new pool your pool builder will inevitably as you how you want to heat it. Even here in Southwest Florida, pool heating is necessary to maximize your swimming…</p>
<p><a href="http://floridasolardesigngroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/How-a-Solar-Pool-Heating-Panel-System-Works.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://floridasolardesigngroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/How-a-Solar-Pool-Heating-Panel-System-Works.jpg?width=300" width="300" class="align-right" style="padding: 10px;"/></a></p>
<p>While few people will swim in the bad month or two we have where night temperatures approach freezing, many people expect to swim in their new pool year-round. When building a new pool your pool builder will inevitably as you how you want to heat it. Even here in Southwest Florida, pool heating is necessary to maximize your swimming season. </p>
<p>Despite promises of "<a href="http://floridasolardesigngroup.com/how-much-does-it-really-cost-to-run-a-swimming-pool-electric-heat-pump/" target="_blank">dollar-a-day heating</a>" with an electric heat pump, many new pool owners find that heating their pool the way they want it can become a very expensive proposition. Electric heaters never live up to their efficiency expectations, because the advertised cost of operation is based on an annual average, including days where you don't heat you pool and days that it's too cold for an electric heat pump to work. Gas heaters burn through huge amounts of propane (literally), shocking many owners when their tanks run dry in a matter of days.</p>
<p><a href="http://floridasolardesigngroup.com/products/solar-pool-heating/" target="_blank">Solar pool heating</a> is an obvious answer. Solar panels can provide comfortable swimming temperatures nearly year-round. When it gets <em>really</em> cold and on bad sun days, most people don't want to swim anyway. There are essentially no additional operating costs for solar panels, so after the initial investment you have heated pool water for the next 10+ years. Many people roll it into a loan to pay for their new pool, and the added cost on a home improvement loan payment is very small.</p>
<p>But the question is whether you should install a solar pool heater when you build a new pool. Besides the obvious benefit of rolling a solar pool heater's cost into the pool purchase, it doesn't really make a difference whether you install your solar pool heater during or after your pool is built. The solar pool heating industry is built on retrofits. The vast majority of solar pool heaters installed in most markets are on existing pools. Integrating with existing pool plumbing is easy. The main considerations are the existing pump and automation system, if any. With the popularity of variable speed pumps rising due to building code restrictions, it becomes much more important to ensure that you have a proper system to automate pump speeds and valves. That is where working with your pool builder becomes important.</p>
<p>Whether you install a solar pool heater as your pool is being built or after the fact, it is almost always a simple task. While it helps to let us talk to your pool builder about integrating a solar pool heater, the cost is the same regardless of when you choose to install it. If you are building a pool, consider including one in your pool purchase. If you already built your pool, there is no need to worry about your choice to install solar panels later.</p>
<p>For more information, visit our website at: <a href="http://floridasolardesigngroup.com/" target="_blank">Florida Solar Design Group</a></p>Bundling of Products & Services - How to Survive and Grow A Home Performance Business in 2013 and Beyond?tag:homeenergypros.lbl.gov,2012-09-22:6069565:BlogPost:944732012-09-22T15:00:00.000ZRoch Nalewayhttp://homeenergypros.lbl.gov/profile/RochNaleway
<p>Working with my customers and friends that are home performance contractors we always seem to be seeking answers to questions such as:</p>
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<p>What will make my <strong>business survive</strong> in the short term?</p>
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<p>What does it mean to run a <strong>successful home performance business</strong>? </p>
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<p>What can I do if my local <strong>utility rebates, tax credits, and programs change</strong>?</p>
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<p>For the most part it is true that individuals and…</p>
<p>Working with my customers and friends that are home performance contractors we always seem to be seeking answers to questions such as:</p>
<p></p>
<p>What will make my <strong>business survive</strong> in the short term?</p>
<p></p>
<p>What does it mean to run a <strong>successful home performance business</strong>? </p>
<p></p>
<p>What can I do if my local <strong>utility rebates, tax credits, and programs change</strong>?</p>
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<p>For the most part it is true that individuals and businesses alike do prefer certainty over uncertainty. The problem with this statement is that we (as individual businesses) cannot control what the business environment, the economy, and our customers are about to do. We need to be adaptive and stay quick on our feet.</p>
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<p>With that in mind we are always discussing business approaches that focus on home performance contractor taking charge of their own destiny. Instead of allowing third party organization determine the destiny of a home performance contractor I believe that there is a great deal that a home performance contractor can do to becoming or staying successful.</p>
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<p>Personally, I believe that there are straightforward products and product categories that can easily be included as standard product and service offers in many home performance jobs:</p>
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<p><b>Electric water heaters</b>. If the existing water heater is older than 10yrs old it may be good business to write up a bid to replace it with a <a href="http://www.ilovewaterheaters.com/blog/tips-and-tricks/electric-water-heaters-forgotten-appliance-home/" target="_blank">Marathon water heater</a> or <a href="http://nwwaterheaters.com/blog/reviews/product-comparison-airgenerate-airtapcompared-ge-rheem-ao-smith-hybrid-heat-pump-water-heaters/" target="_blank">heat pump water heater</a>. Consider partnering with a local plumber or water heater installer.</p>
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<p><b>Ductless mini-split heat pumps</b>. They look all techie, but these are prepackaged systems that can be installed right out of the box. Consider providing a bid to home owners with existing electric resistant baseboard heaters.</p>
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<p><b>Advanced home ventilation fans</b>. Personally, I am a victim of a silly jet-engine-noise-producing Broan fan in my bathroom. I wish I had known about whisper quiet Panasonic fans a few years ago. Easy to install. High customer satisfaction. Very high quality without manufacturing defects that I have come across so far.</p>
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<p>I am not sure whether this will be controversial blog post or not. I thought it would be good to get a general perspective from what contractors think. I have written a <a href="http://www.ilovewaterheaters.com/blog/uncategorized/home-performance-contractors-expand-product-offers-marathon-water-heaters/" target="_blank">longer blog entry on this topic</a> this week providing some ideas on how contractors can <a href="http://www.ilovewaterheaters.com/blog/uncategorized/home-performance-contractors-expand-product-offers-marathon-water-heaters/" target="_blank">implement these suggestions</a>. </p>
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<p>What do you think? Have you added quick and straightforward product offers in your business model? Do you think it takes away focus? Does it provide the business benefits that you are looking for?</p>Borrowing from solar thermal system - Why not use two tank systems with heat pump water heaters?tag:homeenergypros.lbl.gov,2012-09-08:6069565:BlogPost:932432012-09-08T02:14:59.000ZRoch Nalewayhttp://homeenergypros.lbl.gov/profile/RochNaleway
<p>We are starting to roll out heat pump water heaters in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming). One of the concerns we have in colder climates is the recovery time when the ambient air is cold. The lower the ambient temperature the less effective the heat pump water heater will be in generating hot water causing issues in households with more people, more bathrooms, and in colder months if the heat pump water heater is installed in garages or…</p>
<p>We are starting to roll out heat pump water heaters in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming). One of the concerns we have in colder climates is the recovery time when the ambient air is cold. The lower the ambient temperature the less effective the heat pump water heater will be in generating hot water causing issues in households with more people, more bathrooms, and in colder months if the heat pump water heater is installed in garages or basements.</p>
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<p>Thinking about this specific issues and discussing it with home performance contractors we have decided to explore the possibility to employ a <a href="http://nwwaterheaters.com/blog/featured-uses/rheem-marathon-water-heaters-booster-tanks-airgenerate-airtap-hybrid-water-heaters/" target="_blank">two tank heat pump water heater system</a>:</p>
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<p>The first water heater in the two tank system acts as a pre-heater (this would be a solar thermal heater or in our application a heat pump water heater).</p>
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<p>The second water heater collects the water from the first tank and boosts it if necessary to the 120-135 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of the time the booster tank is a standard electric water heater. The two tank system adds a back-up, a booster, and more thermal capacity opening up hybrid electric water heaters to larger households.</p>
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<p>We have not seen any issues so far with this solution. Any input, thoughts, experiences that you have with two tank systems? Please share.</p>